The cabinet on Monday gave approval to the draft of the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Act, 2026, aiming to ensure greater transparency, accountability, equal treatment and open competition in government procurement.
The approval – both in principle and final – came at the 26th cabinet meeting of the current government, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Nasimul Ghani briefed reporters after the meeting.
The Public Procurement Act, 2006, which serves as the principal legal framework for government procurement, has so far been amended six times.
The latest amendment was made through the Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, promulgated on September 21, 2026.
The ordinance was issued to introduce updated provisions aimed at protecting local industries and creating greater competition in procurement activities.
The proposed amendment includes special provisions for new, micro and small, women and disadvantaged bidders to ensure their participation in government procurement.
It also seeks to modernize the procedures under the open tendering method and expand the application of the limited tendering method to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources.
The draft law also aims to clarify provisions relating to professional misconduct and introduce alternative procurement arrangements to meet urgent state requirements.
The draft of the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Act, 2026, was published on the websites of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) and the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) for public opinion.
An ordinance promulgated under Article 93(1) of the Constitution must be placed before Parliament at its first meeting following the promulgation, as stipulated in Article 93(2).
The cabinet gave final approval to the draft law, subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.